


i can't keep you from harm (but i'm set on fire to keep you warm)

by queerraccoon



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Assassin AU, Bodyguard, F/F, Neighbours, Slow Burn, assassin!lexa, more tags will come when i actually figure out where this is going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 18:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8544622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerraccoon/pseuds/queerraccoon
Summary: For six years, Lexa has maintained her perfect reputation as an assassin. She had planned this night with extreme precision and care and as she makes her way to kill Titus, she finds herself face to face and in a compromising position with her very pretty, blonde neighbour (who she definitely does not look forward to seeing every morning).Inspired by:‘My apologies, upon closer inspection it turns out that you are not the person I was hired to kill.’ AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey! I'll try my best to make update frequently (but no promises)  
> Shout out to my beta readers for editing my work :)  
> longer chapters will come in the future dw

Lexa sat in her apartment, sharpening her knives. It was the perfect time to do it. Friday night, everybody was out, no one would hear her victim scream. Not that she would allow him to live long enough for him to scream, of course.

She slipped her glistening knives into their sheaths, located in inconspicuous places over her body and stored the mini bottle of chloroform in the inner pocket of her jacket, just as a precaution. Lexa probably wouldn’t need it anyway.

Lexa looked over the file for the target once again. Titus. Some old balding white guy who lived alone in the apartment across from hers. This couldn’t be any easier. No one would immediately notice his disappearance. Lexa just had to forge a letter in his handwriting about how he had decided to take a break and move elsewhere. He had no living relatives or friends, based on the fact that Lexa couldn’t find any evidence of relationships within the apartment or his file. It would take about a week before someone noticed, she figured.

Lexa was prepared. She had already visited his apartment (when he wasn’t at home, obviously) and planned everything. She knew exactly where everything was and had mapped it out enough times that she could navigate it with her eyes closed.

She knew everything about Titus, except why someone wanted him dead. Indra never told her or Anya, it would only distract them from their mission. Their job was to kill the target as cleanly and efficiently as possible and that’s what they did. So far, no one had suspected them of anything, they just assumed they were two regular people who had just moved in. They even made an effort to socialise with the other residents, even if it made their job riskier. She and Anya usually stayed in one place for a couple of months at a time, enough to complete several jobs, while avoiding long-lasting personal connections. The only relationship they had was with each other.

Lexa glanced at the clock on the wall. 12:03am. It was time.

Slowly, she gripped the doorknob, pulling the door open without making any sound. She slipped out of her apartment, firmly set on her goal for the evening.

The dim hallway light was still on, as expected. It had lost its bright glow from when Lexa had first moved in, when it had managed to last an entire night without flickering. Now, it seemed like it couldn’t last five minutes without blinking on and off. Making to sure to stay out of sight of the security camera, Lexa dipped into the supply closet, where the switch for the light was located, and turned it off. The hallway was blanketed in darkness, with not even windows to let in the moonlight.

Now, to Titus’ apartment. The apartment to the right of the one across from her’s. Lexa felt along the wall to find the knob and used her skeleton key. Picking locks took too long and drew too much attention. It was much faster and easier to use a key that could open almost any lock. With a twist of the key, the lock let out a satisfactory click and Lexa entered the apartment, silently closing the door behind her.

Lexa had yet to adjust to the darkness, only able to see the vague shapes of the couches and table. Using her knowledge of the apartment, she stepped around them, making her way across the living room to where the bedroom was. Once at the door, Lexa pressed her ear against the wood, satisfied to hear a person’s slow breaths.

A quick, clean kill. That’s all she needed. She doubted boring, old Titus would put up with too much of a fight. With one hand on the doorknob, her other reached out for the knife at her hip, finding comfort in the familiar leather handle.

She peered into the room when the door opened, glad to see that there was a body underneath the sheets, chest gently rising with every breath. When Lexa reached the side of the bed, she fully unsheathed her knife, prepared to end his life. She straddled the body on the bed, in the off chance that Titus would manage to leap upwards, making the kill much messier than she wanted.

Lexa pulled down the covers from his face, and realised that Titus was not the body underneath the sheets. Lexa froze, with the knife still in her hand, staring at that all too familiar face she always greeted in the mornings when she returned from her daily run. A peaceful, innocent face that stirred slightly before opening her eyes.

And Lexa still didn’t move when the girl beneath her was now staring at her blearily, blinking to try to get accustomed to the darkness.

“Lexa? What are you doing?”

Lexa was still frozen in her position, prepared to kill someone who definitely wasn’t Clarke.

Clarke’s eyes drifted to the hand that was holding the knife pressed against her neck and then back to Lexa’s eyes. Lexa prepared herself for the inevitable scream that was about to come, at Clarke’s realisation that she was about to kill her.

“Kinky little fucker, aren’t you?” said Clarke, smirking.

Okay, that wasn’t the response Lexa was expecting. Lexa was glad for the darkness, hiding the heat that crept up from her neck.

“Um, bye, Clarke,” was all she said before darting off Clarke and rushing back to her apartment, not wanting to face Clarke for a moment longer. She couldn’t believe she had managed to barge into the wrong apartment. It was only one door away. How did Lexa miss an entire door?

Once back in her apartment, she stripped herself of all her weapons, glad that Clarke didn’t manage to see the plethora of knives she was hiding - it might’ve led to her actually getting scared, or even more teasing.

She couldn’t kill Titus after that incident. She was too shaken up. This would definitely be followed by questions tomorrow. Her cover was exposed. She had to move out immediately, and leave Anya to take care of Titus, while she moved to the other side of the world where nobody knew her.

After six years of being in the business, Lexa just had to screw up this one time by missing a door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu at heckle-freckle.tumblr.com


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i present to you, chapter 2

Lexa was banging on Anya’s door, knowing fully well that she was asleep. She was debating on barging in without her permission, risking facing her wrath on having invaded her privacy.

“Shit, Anya, open your door, or I swear I’ll kick it in,” Lexa muttered.

“Jesus, Lex, calm down,” Anya said, yawning as she opened the door.

“Anya, I fucked up. I fucked up so bad. I couldn’t have fucked this up any fucking worse,” she started to ramble right when the door was completely open.

Anya looked down at the trembling girl grasping her head, smaller than she had ever seen her before. Now, the older girl was slightly more awake, and a lot more worried, since she had never seen Lexa look so vulnerable and out of control. Lexa was always the better of the two, always knowing what to do and making sure they left no trace of their presence every time they left each apartment.

“Lex, what did you do? Did you kill your target? Is there too much blood and you need help cleaning up?”

Anya led Lexa over to the couch, tugging her down so that she was seated.

“God, I wish it were that simple,” Lexa laughed grimly. “I walked into the wrong fucking apartment.”

“Oh my God, Lexa. For fuck’s sake. Were you about to kill the wrong person?

“Yup.”

“Who’s apartment was it?”

“The one across from ours. Clarke’s.”

“The girl you’ve been flirting with every morning?”

“I do not-“

“It looked a lot like you two were flirting.”

“Anya, you know how I feel about relationships.”

“I know.” She paused. “Did she see you?”

Lexa hesitated. “Yes.”

“Oh my God.” Anya brought her hands up to her face, dragging them down. “You’ve really fucked this one up. You’ve never screwed up in the six years you’ve been an assassin, what happened today?”

“I have no bloody clue.” She groaned, standing up. “Ugh, I need a drink, you want one?”

“Sure, since you decided to dump your shitty situation on me.”

Lexa grabbed two beers from the fridge and passed one to Anya before dropping onto the couch beside her. She took a large swig from the bottle before continuing.

“I don’t think she realised, though.”

“What do you mean she didn’t realise? Weren’t you about to kill her?”

“Yeah. She thought I was being kinky, though. Called me a ‘kinky little fucker’.”

Anya snorted. “Well, I don’t know if that makes it better or worse. She still could’ve suspected something. Who doesn’t get suspicious if they wake up in the middle of the night with their neighbour about to kill them?”

“Ugh, Anya, I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, first thing’s first. Your target needs to be dead, like ASAP. Remember the last time you took too long to kill a target?”

Lexa nodded solemnly, reminded of how Costia’s life had flashed before her eyes. One day she was there, the next she was gone.

“I don’t think I can kill him. I’m going to walk into his apartment and remember how I fucked up by walking into Clarke’s apartment and I’m pretty sure I won’t do it right.”

“You’ll be right, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kiddo.”

“Sure, you are. I think we have to take this issue to Indra first thing tomorrow morning. She’ll come up with a solution for your target and Clarke. I can ask her if I can take over yours if you want. You have all the info on him, I can take him out, easy.”

“Indra’s going to kill me.”

“That she is.” Anya swallowed the last of her beer and rubbed Lexa’s back in an attempt to comfort her.

 

* * *

 

While Anya had fallen asleep right after their conversation, Lexa had remained awake the whole night, rolling in her bed, unable to sleep. Memories of that night had played itself over and over again in Lexa’s head, each time seemingly worse than the previous.

_Did Clarke already know? Was that why she was so calm? Maybe she had realised when she woke up, just tried to cover it with a witty response. Did she call the police after she left? Oh shit. Wait, if she did, they would already be at her apartment. So she didn’t call them._

_How was she meant to explain all this when she saw Clarke? She could avoid her, problem solved._

_And Titus. He needed to be dead, she just couldn’t leave him wondering around._

Lexa rolled over and checked the time on her phone. It was nearing 7am, Indra was probably awake by now. Lexa pressed the call button next to Indra’s name and anxiously waited for her to pick up, each ringing tone striking fear into her heart.

“Hello?”

Lexa let out a sigh, somewhat relieved. Indra could fix things up, it would be okay.

“Indra, I need your help. When’s the soonest I can see you?”

“Lexa? What happened? You’re usually able to handle your assignments by yourself, why are you asking for my help?”

“I have to explain in person, when are you available?”

“Well, I don’t have a client with me right now, so-“

“Great, I’ll be right over. I’m bringing Anya with me.”

Lexa ended the call and started the enduring task of waking Anya up for the second time. Thankfully, it took much less effort than her previous attempt, with Anya answering the door already dressed.

 

 

They reached the bottom of the office building, Lexa’s heart beating furiously in her chest, wanting to break out of her chest. She had no idea how Indra would react to her stupidity, she only hoped she had a solution. As they made their way through the lobby and up the elevator to Indra’s office, Lexa’s hands grew clammy as her nervousness overtook her. She only hoped that she wasn’t fired - that would mean being disposed of. This job required a life-time dedication and no screw-ups. The dedication, she had, but the perfect record? No longer true.

When the pair had reached Indra’s office, Lexa barged in unannounced, refusing to keep the matter waiting any longer. Indra looked up, unfazed by Lexa and Anya’s arrival.

“So, Lexa, care to tell me what this visit is all about?”

Lexa only hesitated a moment before explaining to Indra what she had told Anya earlier. Every so often, she glanced upwards from her lap, gauging Indra’s reaction, but it remained unchanged from the usual stoic expression she wore.

 

 

“Out of all things I was expecting you to tell me, this wasn’t it,” Indra said after Lexa’s explanation.

Lexa could already tell that Indra was disappointed in her. Why wouldn’t she be? Her best assassin had let her down in the worst possible way, exposing them to a random stranger. Lexa braced herself, expecting her boss to fire her on the spot, to have Anya to end her life, for anything this silence led towards.

“I may have a solution.”

Lexa’s head shot up. She peered into Indra’s eyes, looking for any hint of a lie, and relaxed slightly when she found none.

“What did you say the girl’s name was, again?” Indra asked.

“Clarke Griffin.”

Her boss nodded once before turning to the computer, opening up a folder that was locked and hidden to anyone else that tried to access her files. After typing and clicking, Indra turned back to the pair seated across from her.

“It turns out I have set Clarke Griffin as your next assignment.”

Lexa froze. “I have to kill her?” she barely whispered, wondering whether it would be better to be fired than to kill Clarke.

Anya, however, seemed to be amused at Lexa’s reaction and ruffled her hair.

“This one here can’t possible imagine the possibility of killing the girl she has a crush on.”

Lexa let out an exasperated sigh. “Anya, how many times do I have to tell you, I-“

“Well,” Indra interrupted. “Good thing you’re not killing her then.”

This conversation couldn’t have gotten more confusing.

“What do you mean?” Lexa said. “We’re assassins, that’s what we do.”

“This one is a unique case. It came from one of my frequent clients and she paid a large sum for us to complete her request. She specifically asked for you, my best assassin, to protect Clarke Griffin, from whatever harm she may be in. I don’t know what she has done to have people continuously after her life, but we must satisfy our client’s requests. Your first assignment here was actually part of your Clarke Griffin assignment, he was the only known person who was actively after Clarke, which, by the way, I agree with your choice to transfer it to Anya if you believe it will get the job done quicker. As long as he is terminated as soon as possible. Lexa, I suggest that you get close to Clarke, and immediately dispose of anyone you believe poses a threat to her. I trust your instincts, they have never failed you, except for this one time. But you also need to ensure that she is clueless of your intentions, if she knows, it may put her in more danger and the client may drop her request, and we cannot have that happen.”

How was Lexa supposed to get close to Clarke if she could barely look her in the eye after that mortifying moment? And what excuse could she give to explain herself pressing a knife to her neck while she slept? Anya would probably have to take care of Titus, while Lexa figured out how to approach this Clarke situation.

Anya smirked at Lexa. “This is great for her, she gets to spend more time with her crush.”

“Anya,” Lexa groaned.

“You know it’s true.”

Lexa ignored her.

“How long will I have to do this?” she asked Indra.

“My client will be in contact with me once she believes Clarke is no longer in danger. Please take this job seriously, I cannot lose my best-paying client.”

“I will Indra. Will I only be assassinating or am I required to collect information?”

The woman sitting before her analysed the computer screen before answering Lexa.

“I believe any information will be helpful. I will contact my client again and I’ll send you all the files and any leads I have.”

“Thank you, Indra. I’ll get on it right away.”

“I have all my faith in you.”

Walking out of the office, Lexa could hardly believe her situation. She supposed it was better than expected, at least she had left Indra’s office with her head intact. Now, she just had to come up with something to say to Clarke. Anya was no help, only dwelling on the fact that Clarke had called the situation ‘kinky’, begging Lexa to go along with that storyline. On the other hand, Lexa had come up with an elaborate plot had managed to fall asleep when she was cooking and sleep-walked across the hallway to Clarke’s apartment. She should also mention something about her having an extreme case of somnambulism, that would make it more believable.

 

* * *

 

Lexa was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn’t realise she had bumped into Clarke on her way back to her apartment.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Lexa had said before looking up to see those soft blue eyes returning her gaze, accompanied with a small smile.

“Hey Lexa, I missed you this morning,” Clarke said, with no hint of any ulterior motive in her voice.

Lexa was suspicious. Was she not going to mention what happened last night?

Next to her, Anya whispered in her ear, “I’ll leave you two be.”

Lexa’s eyes almost bugged out of her skull when she realised she was going to have to face Clarke on her own. A trained assassin and she couldn’t handle a simple lie.

“Oh yeah, I had a work thing, had to leave early.”

Clarke nodded, and the brunette was about to bring up last night’s incident, when Clarke spoke up, interrupting her.

“You were in my dream last night.” There was a short pause before she continued. “Well, I think it was a dream, it felt very realistic. You were wearing this leather jacket, I think, which made you look extremely hot, like I didn’t even think it was your style and then I saw it in my dream, and it was like, woah. Do you even own a leather jacket? You should totally wear it more, if you do.”

Lexa remembered the assassin attire she was wearing last night. “Yeah, I do, um thanks for the advice.”

Was that the only reason Clarke was speaking to her? To give her fashion advice? Well at least she didn’t have to come up with a lie to convince Clarke, it seemed to all be taken care of.

“You also had a knife at my throat, which was really kinky, if you asked me. Like I can’t even imagine you, so tiny and innocent, straddling me and with a knife kink.”

Just like last night, Lexa was blushing, not knowing how to reply. “I’m not tiny,” she managed to say. She wasn’t even that innocent either, as her thoughts drifted back to the apartment she and Anya shared, which was filled with all kinds of weapons.

Clarke giggled and Lexa could have sworn that time had temporarily stopped, with Clarke’s laugh being the only thing resonating in this frozen bubble. Lexa shook herself out of this reverie, casting any thoughts about Clarke’s laugh out of her mind, knowing exactly where these types of thoughts would lead to. And Lexa couldn’t let herself fall down that hole again.

“Sure you are, Lexa. You’re the tiniest person I’ve ever met.”

“Clarke, I’m taller than you.”

Again, her laugh filled Lexa’s ears, and she tried her best to ignore the wonderful sounds that emanated from her mouth, but couldn’t stop the edges of her lips tipping upwards into a smile, despite the warning signs flashing in her head.

“So, um, Lexa.” Clarke fiddled with the edge of her shirt, glancing at Lexa’s green eyes for only a moment before darting back down to the ground. “Would you like to get dinner with me? Sometime?”

“What?”

Lexa slapped herself internally for her blasé response.

Clarke wrung her hands together, still not meeting Lexa’s eyes. “Um, dinner. You and me. Preferably at a restaurant? Although, I can’t guarantee that.”

“Oh, dinner.”

“Yes, dinner.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Clarke’s eyebrows perked upwards in anticipation.

“Yes, I’ll have dinner with you.”

“Really? Um, cool. I’ll text you the details. You should wear that leather jacket of yours.” Clarke’s face broke into a broad grin before disappearing down the stairs behind her, leaving a quite befuddled Lexa standing in the stairwell, wondering what exactly had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu at heckle-freckle.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!!! i just got caught up in work stuff and didnt have time to write *sigh* i will TRY to update more frequently but here's a short filler chapter to satisfy you

Clarke had darted outside right after her encounter with Lexa, her breathing erratic. She couldn’t believe she had just asked Lexa out on a date, especially after confronting her about last night. She definitely hadn’t expected the conversation to end up where it did.

She had sensed Lexa’s anxiety right before Clarke had rattled off her lie. And as she did so, Lexa’s face had transformed from that of panic, to confusion, to relief. It was that panicked look in her eyes and the stiffness in her shoulders that caused Clarke to lie. She was planning to confront Lexa about the incident, but they had bumped into each other before Clarke had a chance to properly prepare herself. And, of course, the first thing that had come to her mind was a dream. What a pathetic excuse. Totally believable.

And now she couldn’t even mention the incident to Lexa. She had just brushed it off as something unimportant, something that wouldn’t require bringing up again. She couldn’t satisfy that question that kept bugging her in the back of her mind.

But she did get a date. Clarke honestly didn’t think that Lexa would agree. Turns out there actually was a personality beneath that stoic mask of hers that she always wore. That mask she had tried to fervently to break through before, but crumbled away easily when she had suggested dinner. A small smirk found its way onto Clarke’s face as she recalled how Lexa’s eyebrows shot up, mouth slightly agape in disbelief.

Clarke realised she was wandering around aimlessly. Her shift at the hospital didn’t start for another few hours, and she was already up and ready. She glanced at the watch she always wore on her left wrist, noting that it was nearing ten am, and she had to be at the hospital by twelve. Spotting a nearby café, she decided to grab a coffee before heading off to work later.

 

* * *

 

“A dream? I call bullshit,” Anya blurted, interrupting Lexa’s explanation.

They were poring over the files she had on Titus, when Lexa had explained what happened in the stairwell. To be honest, Lexa was also quite suspicious of Clarke’s response, not trusting how she had approached Lexa with a response that almost sounded prepared. Or maybe she was nervous, and that’s why she had rehearsed it, making her response sound practised. Lexa noted to herself to keep a closer eye on Clarke, even if she was meant to be protecting her. She had to protect herself as well, make sure her cover wasn’t blown.

“I think she also asked me out on a date,” Lexa told Anya, after the brief silence that followed Anya’s utterance.

“You think? She either did or she didn’t.”

“Okay, yes, she asked me out. She said she’ll text me later about it.”

“Excellent.” Anya clapped her hands together. “This Clarke seems to be doing all the work for you. You’re getting close to her like Indra suggested and you even scored a date with her! Lexa Woods, fucks up an assignment and manages to get a date out of it.”

“You make it sound better than it is,” said Lexa. “We should probably get back to work.”

Together, they discussed strategies to take out Titus, even if Lexa wasn’t taking part in the actual assassination this time. Mostly, Anya just suggested ideas, and Lexa criticised them, still adamant on her original idea, but Anya kept wanting to do something quirky. While Lexa had always focused more on not getting caught, Anya always liked to have a little fun, sometimes even leaving a personal mark. Lexa swore that Anya’s antics would eventually get them caught.

Eventually, Anya had agreed with Lexa’s plan, a little disheartened that she couldn’t personalise it slightly. Now, they were working on a time to do it. It couldn’t be done immediately, since Anya still needed to familiarise herself with the plans, and she also had her own target to take care of. It had to be within the week though. Each passing day increased the threat of Titus and endangered Clarke. The two agreed that Anya would do it exactly a week after Lexa had planned to do it herself. The conditions would be almost the same, so Anya would be able to replicate it, satisfying Lexa’s requirements.

As they worked on their plans and tactics, Lexa cast a few nervous glances at her phone, anticipating its buzz.

 

* * *

 

“Oh, hey Rae, you’re still up?” Clarke mumbled blearily as she has stumbled through the door of their apartment after her late 14-hour shift.

“Oh, yeah,” replied Raven, eyes glued to the TV screen in front of her.

Clarke dropped herself on the couch next to Raven, sighing as she felt the relief in her feet, which were sore from standing up her whole shift.

“How was work?”

“Shit,” Clarke groaned. That response got Raven to peel her eyes away from whatever she was watching and faced Clarke.

“You know, I really don’t know why you’re a doctor if you hate it so much. You spent years studying for this and now you’re trapped in a job that takes hours away from your days and you don’t even enjoy it. What’s the point? I haven’t even seen you paint or draw or whatever arty thing you used to do.”

“I don’t have the time to-“

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Can we just come back to this later?” Clarke waved her hand in her roommate’s general direction.

Raven sighed. “Only because you’re tired from your shift.”

Clarke murmured a thank you and settled down beside her, watching whatever was on the screen. There was a moment of tense silence before Clarke spoke up again.

“What is this anyway?”

“Just something Octavia recommended.”

Clarke hummed a response. Another silence.

“I asked someone out today.”

Raven’s head seemed to snap and she turned to face Clarke in record time, no longer paying attention to her show. Her eyes glowed in the dim light, begging Clarke to explain even though she hadn’t even said a word.

“Finally, about time. You’ve been single far too long. Who was it?”

Slightly startled by Raven’s response, Clarke drawled out, “Remember our neighbours across the hall?”

“The weird, hot ones?”

“They’re not weird,” Clarke pouted. She received a pointed stare from Raven. “Okay, they’re not _that_ weird.”

“So which one is it? I call dibs on the tall blonde one.”

A small smile manoeuvred itself through Clarke’s lips at Raven’s response. “Nah, you’re all good. I asked Lexa.”

“Wait, is she the one you always seem to ‘accidentally’ run into after her morning run?”

Clarke sheepishly nodded.

“Damn, Clarkey, how’d you manage to find the time to do that?”

“Well, I bumped into her, literally, on my way to work, and I just asked her.” She chose not to mention the other part of their conversation, not knowing how Raven would react to it.

“Good job,” praised Raven, before returning her attention to her show. Clarke joined her for a bit until she felt herself nodding off to sleep, and made her way back to her bedroom before she could fall asleep on the couch.

 

* * *

 

Lexa found herself staring at her phone the next morning. She had been slightly disappointed when she hadn’t received a text from Clarke the previous day. The presence of her phone had distracted her the majority of the day, rendering her unable to focus entirely on the plans she and Anya were making. Her reflection in the glossy black screen stared back at her, ridiculing her for her pathetic behaviour as Lexa simply stared at her phone, refusing to make a move.

Anya walked past, noticing how Lexa hadn’t moved from her position at the table for hours now.

“Why don’t you just text her first?”

“I can’t do that. She’s the one who asked me out, and she did say she was going to text me. Oh my god, Anya, what if she didn’t mean it?” Lexa was now disturbed from her position, looking back at Anya with wide eyes. “What if she doesn’t actually want to go on a date with me, and everything she said was a lie? And if everything she said was a lie, that means she _knows_. She _knows_ , Anya, she _knows_. I have to kill her.”

With a firm hand on her shoulder, Anya pushed Lexa back into her seat.

“For an assassin, you have zero chill.” Anya earned a glare from the smaller girl. “I doubt she has any clue who we are, and killing her is the total opposite of your assignment. If you killed her, Indra would kill _you_.”

Lexa slouched in her seat. “Yeah, I know.”

“Now, either you text her back, or just let it go.”

Lexa didn’t manage to text Clarke.

 

It was when Lexa was immersed in the files she had received from Indra on potential targets, that her phone buzzed on the table beside her. Lexa’s heart jumped into her throat at the sound as she scrambled over to check the text, papers flying out of her lap and onto the floor. On the lock screen was a simple message.

 **Clarke:** hey :)

Okay, so she hadn’t directly mentioned the dinner she had promised earlier, but she had texted her. And Lexa replied, perhaps a bit too soon.

 **Lexa:** Hi there.

 **Clarke** : ooh, formal arent we? soooo, i was wondering about that dinner…

 **Lexa:** What about it? I did agree to it, didn’t I?

 **Clarke:** oh cool, i was a bit afraid that you changed your mind

 **Lexa:** I would never do that.

 **Clarke:** that’s good to know

 **Clarke:** so, um, would it be cool if we had dinner at my place?

 **Clarke:** you were probably expecting something fancier,  
like a world-renowned restaurant or something, but my  
schedules not that great, and having it at my place would  
probably be best

 **Clarke:** ill try to make it as date-like as possible, i promise!  
ill even bring candles!!

 **Clarke:** its ok if you choose to decline after this… im probably  
not selling this idea very convincingly

 **Lexa:** I would love to have dinner at your place, Clarke.  
It adds a nice level of intimacy to a first date.

 **Clarke:** oh great! is 7 on tues fine with you? sorry its on a weekday,  
i can try work something else out if it doesnt suit you

 **Lexa:** 7 on Tuesday is fine with me.

 **Clarke:** yes!!! ill see u there. u know where i live :P

 **Clarke:** oh and dont forget to wear that jacket ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> although there will be some pov changes, this fic will mostly be in lexa's pov :)
> 
> hmu at heckle-freckle.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw for blood and violence in the last big paragraph

It was six pm when Lexa found herself staring uncertainly at the leather jacket laid on her bed. Was this really a good idea? She was following Indra’s orders to familiarise herself with Clarke Griffin, but a date… was she taking it too far? Well, as long as she didn’t fall in love with her, it would be fine. She had sworn herself off relationships after what had happened with Costia. Lexa shook herself out of her thoughts before she could fall back too far in her past.

This was going to be a purely professional arrangement, no feelings involved.

Lexa glanced back down at the leather jacket before shrugging it on. She had never worn it outside of her assignments, it was designed more practically rather than aesthetically. There were various pockets designated for her multiple knives and other blades, she had to make sure there weren't any hidden blades in the jacket before she wore it to Clarke’s, although she may have missed one or a few.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she found the reflection to be quite odd, as she had never worn part of her assassin uniform, only in its entirety. Her hair was always done up when she wore it, but now it was down, curled and brushed to the side. And there was makeup as well. Makeup that she never wore when she was on the job, deeming it unnecessary and a waste of time, since she typically worked at night and made sure she wasn’t seen. Most of the time.

The most striking difference was the dress underneath the leather. It felt strange to not be wearing pants with the jacket. The dress was a shade of green a tad darker than her eyes and ended just above her knees, enough to seem classy. The neckline was high but just low enough to showcase her prominent collarbones. Lexa left the jacket unzipped, framing the dress as it hugged her sides.

When she exited her room, Lexa wiped her sweaty hands on the front of her dress, not knowing why she was so nervous for this date, it wasn’t like she had feelings or anything. Sure, Clarke was attractive (very attractive, in fact), but she didn’t have any _feelings_. No feelings. At all.

Lexa took a breath to calm her unnecessary nerves, checking the time on her phone at the same time. She had a few minutes to spare before it was seven.

Anya caught sight of Lexa when she moved into the living room, whistling at her from her position on the couch.

“Looking like that, you’re bound to get laid tonight.”

“Anya,” Lexa whined. “I’m not trying to get laid. It’s basically work.”

“It wouldn’t hurt if you did.”

“Anya,” she sighed.

“Alright, alright.” Anya raised her hands in surrender. “It was just a suggestion.”

Lexa sighed again and nodded at Anya before making her way to the door. “I have to get going, I’ll see you later.”

Anya saluted at her with two fingers, winking as she did so. “Right then. See ya, Lex. Be safe. Give me all the juicy deets when you come back.”

“There won’t be anything _juicy_.”

“Mmm, that’s what you say now. Hurry along to your date.”

Cursing Anya under her breathe, Lexa closed the door behind her and strode across the hallway, heels clicking against the floor as she made her way to Clarke’s apartment opposite hers. Once again, she checked the time on her phone and once the screen displayed “7:00”, she sharply rapped on the door and immediately glanced downwards, immediately regretting her decision. A minute passed and the door remained closed. Lexa contemplated knocking again when the door swung open, revealing a frazzled Latina with oil smudged across her cheeks and forehead.

“You’re not Clarke,” Lexa blurted out. She was 97.8% sure she had gotten the right apartment this time, but quickly checked the number on the door. 307. Definitely Clarke’s apartment.

“You’re not Clarke, either,” the girl replied, with the same perplexed look as Lexa. She glanced down at Lexa’s outfit, making her feel somewhat scrutinised under her stare.

“Oh wait!” Her eyes lit up in realisation. “You’re um, you’re Lexa right?”

Lexa slowly nodded, still not entirely sure what to make of the situation as a wolf-life grin formed on the other girl’s face.

“Ah, Lexa. Clarke’s told me a lot about you.” She smirked. “Speaking of, she should be here soon, said she was running late. And I-“ she glanced at the non-existent watch on my wrist, “actually have to be somewhere, so I’ll just leave you be and Clarke won’t be long.” With a wink, the girl ushered Lexa into her apartment and grabbed a bag before shutting the door behind her.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Lexa found herself in a strangely quiet, but comfortingly messy apartment, with its set-up almost identical to her own apartment. And Titus’s.

Lexa was somewhat glad that she had been left alone in Clarke’s apartment by - who was it again? She tried to remember any mention of a roommate in Clarke’s files. She had only glanced over them briefly, mostly focusing instead on her potential targets. The roommate’s started with an R, she thought. Something bird related as well. Was it Robin? Rooster? Raven! She must be fairly harmless if Lexa couldn’t remember any other information that stood out about Raven.

Not wanting to stray too far from the door, Lexa remained in the living room, taking in whatever she could find. The mess rivalled that found in her and Anya’s apartment, which was strewn with guns and knives and the occasional sword. Here, tools were scattered across the table and floor. It was a wonder how Lexa had managed to navigate through this mess in the dark. Amidst all the tools was a fairly large contraption that seemed to be unfinished, setting off alarms in Lexa’s head. She rushed over to the contraption, examining it for any signs that it might be a bomb. She had realised it was probably too big to be a bomb if Raven was meaning to be discreet, but there was still the possibility. Carefully, Lexa searched through the interior of the device, looking for any signs of explosive material, although it was quite likely that it hadn’t been incorporated yet, since it was unfinished. Lexa examined the structure of the metal casing, which seemed to be far too complex and precise for a bomb. If someone were to create something to blow up, why would they put so much effort in the details? Even the outside seemed to be polished, reflecting as much light as possible. Usually, bombs weren’t designed to be seen. After further investigation, Lexa identified a few motors and magnets, none of which had an important part in a bomb, and deduced that the device wasn’t a bomb, but however reminded herself to closely watch Raven.

The door rattled open and Lexa jumped away from the not-bomb, distancing herself away from it as much as possible. Clarke stood at the doorway, looking puzzled in her doctor’s scrubs and loose tendrils of her hair escaping the bun at the back of her neck.

“Lexa? What are you doing here?”

Lexa stared blankly at Clarke. “You invited me? Raven let me in earlier.” Just as the words left her lips, Lexa internally chastised herself for mentioning Raven’s name, hoping Clarke wouldn’t realise that the two hadn’t officially been introduced to each other.

“Oh shit, is it Tuesday already? And I’m late as well, I’m so sorry. Okay, pretend you never saw any of this.” Clarke rushed through the door, which Lexa already knew was her bedroom, and was once again left alone in the living room. She took this opportunity to analyse the artworks hanging on the walls.

She heard the shower turn on and Lexa froze, knowing that only a few walls separated her from a very naked and wet _Clarke Griffin_. She fixated her gaze on the first artwork she saw, focusing all her attention on it, and not a particular someone touching and washing her body. Lexa unsuccessfully fought the heat that rose from her neck and threatened to colour her face. She discarded all her thoughts, leaving her with a blank mind as she observed the watercolour painting in front of her.

Greens of all shades blended into one another at the bottom, forming peaks as they reached upwards into dark blues and purples swirling around each other. White specks dotted the top half of the painting, a stark contrast against the soft colours. The colours seemed to merge together at the middle, creating a psychedelic blend of soft hues. In the corner of the canvas was written, _Sky Meets Earth_.

 

* * *

 

A voice cleared behind her. Lexa turned abruptly and found Clarke standing before her wearing a navy dress that hugged every curve and seemed to make her eyes appear darker. Lexa’s eyes lingered on her chest, where the neckline conveniently provided her with an ample view of Clarke’s cleavage. Her eyes snapped up to meet Clarke’s gaze once she realised where she was staring, and was met with a knowing smirk.

“I painted that, you know.” Clarke’s voice was soft as she moved to stand next to Lexa, nodding towards the painting that she had been captivated by. Lexa’s eyes widened and she looked from Clarke back to the painting on the wall.

“As well as everything else hanging on the walls.” Clarke gestured around the room and Lexa followed her hands as they waved about the apartment.

Her jaw dropped and eyes widened as she took in the art displayed around the apartment. Each had intricate details of abstract interpretations of landscapes and were in a variety of different styles. There were charcoal drawings, black and white sketches, oil paintings with striking colours.

“All of it?” Lexa said in a soft gasp filled with wonder. Clarke nodded with a small smile on her face.

“Wow.”

Clarke was fixated on Lexa’s expression as she gazed around the room in awe. It had been a while since someone had looked at her artwork like this and it brought back a familiar fluttering in her stomach that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Clarke’s thoughts were interrupted as her gaze dropped to Lexa’s shoulders clad in leather.

“The jacket looks good on you,” she murmured.

“Well, I would hope so. You did request for me to wear it.” Lexa peeled her attention away from the drawing she was eyeing and faced Clarke with a smirk. Rendered speechless, Clarke was only able to watch as Lexa moved away from her and towards the table.

“So what do you have planned for tonight?”

Clarke was startled out of her reverie and remembered the date she had forgotten to plan.

“Shit, well, since you’re already here, I don’t really have any time to cook anything, which is probably for the better. My cooking skills are subpar, anyway.” She paused, realising that she was rambling. She glanced upwards, expecting Lexa to be unimpressed, on the verge of leaving her before their date had even begun. However, she had a soft smile, comforting Clarke, and her eyes almost looked as if they were mesmerised.

“It’s fine, Clarke. I’m not backing out. You can order some take-out if you want,” Lexa said, as if reading Clarke’s mind. Clarke seemed to visibly relax at her words, her shoulders slumping slightly.

“Really? That’s- you’re amazing. I promise I’ll make it up to you, I know I even forgot the candles-“

“Hey,” Lexa cut her off with a hand over Clarke’s. “I love candles, but it’s fine.”

She took a deep breath before continuing. “Is Thai okay?”

Their eyes met for a moment before Lexa quickly nodded and Clarke pulled out her phone, not moving her hand away from Lexa’s. They maintained eye contact as Clarke ordered their food over the phone, her attention not entirely focused on the conversation she was having, but instead on the way Lexa’s thumb rubbed comforting circles over her hand. Once Clarke had finished ordering, she guided the other girl towards the couch, but not before hastily moving Raven’s mess out of the way. To do so, Clarke had to reluctantly draw her hand away from Lexa’s. Immediately, she missed the comforting warmth and itched to grasp her hand again, but ignored the lingering tingles in her fingertips.

“Is this all Raven’s?”

“Yeah, I usually keep all my junk in my room.”

“What do you keep in there? Besides all the usual bedroom things.”

Clarke looked downwards bashfully. “It’s just all my art stuff. I haven’t done much with it lately, so it’s just sitting there. Sometimes I look over to see it all covered in dust and I feel so sad and _guilty_.”

“Guilty? Why do you feel guilty?”

“Well, it’s like I’ve just abandoned it. I used to paint or draw almost every day, and now, I just don’t have the time, or motivation. I feel like I’ve just lost my passion for art.”

“Clarke, no. From the art I’ve seen, I can tell that there is passion within you, it just might be hibernating at the moment.”

“Those were done years ago, though. I haven’t done anything after… the incident.” There was a pause. “The passion’s gone now. Dead.”

“Passion like that just doesn’t die. You just might need something to inspire you.”

“How would you know that? Are you an artist?” Clarke whispered.

“No,” Lexa chuckled. “I’m just very observant.”

“Alright that seems like enough room,” Clarke said after making space for the both of them to sit. Clarke had let her body fall onto the couch, while Lexa precariously sat on the edge, wanting to give Clarke as much room as she could.

“What is Raven doing with all of this?”

“Honestly? No clue. As long as she doesn’t burn our apartment down, I’m completely fine with whatever she does.”

Sirens went off in Lexa’s mind and she immediately flagged Raven as a potential assailant.

“No more questions now,” Clarke grinned and pulled Lexa back into the couch, where she fell flush against Clarke’s body. For a moment, Lexa was tense, about to attack, but when she realised it was just Clarke (whom she was on a date with), she managed to relax her muscles slightly, feeling a bit warm. She blamed it on wearing her assassin jacket when she wasn’t actually assassinating. “Since you came in, all I’ve gotten to know about you is that your observation skills are above average, and you know all about my art. So tell me about yourself.”

Lexa stiffened. “What do you want to know?” She felt like she was about to be interrogated, and even though she had survived several interrogations, her heart was beating furiously at the prospect of this particular one.

Clarke shrugged. “Anything. Actually, I don’t even know what your job is. Do you even work?”

 _She knows_ , Lexa thought. She contemplated the idea of running out right now and how suspicious it would seem, before there was a knock on the door.

Clarke’s eyes lit up. “Finally, I’m starving.” While Clarke got up to answer the door, Lexa hastily thought of a cover story, trying to remember the name of Indra’s cover-up company.

“Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, please.”

They had shifted from the very crowded couch to the less crowded dining table, where Clarke was frantically scooping the food onto proper plates to make it seem at least presentable.

“I really appreciate the effort you’re putting into this, Clarke.”

She brightened at that comment. “Thank you so much. I was actually so hyped for this and then the days flew by and here we are. I’m so glad you haven’t bailed on me yet.”

“I can’t bail on the date if it’s already started.”

“Well, you do live across the hall, so you could just leave.”

“Are you suggesting I leave, Clarke?” Lexa asked, an eyebrow perked up.

Clarke’s expression was almost laughable. “No! No, of course not. No, the food’s already here anyway, it would be a waste-“

“I was joking, Clarke.”

Clarke lifted up her head to meet Lexa’s eyes, which were filled with mirth before muttering, “I didn’t know you could make jokes.”

“That’s another thing you know about me now.”

“Funny and observant. You must be a real catch. So, before we were interrupted by this glorious good, what were you going to say your job was?”

Lexa cursed mentally, hoping that Clarke would have forgotten about it. “I work at uh- Grounders.”

“The big law firm?”

 _Yes! She had remembered correctly_. She nodded.

“So you’re a lawyer, then.” Lexa continued nodding, allowing Clarke to lead her lie.

“I’ve heard people pay big money for a lawyer there, you must be loaded.” Another nod.

“I actually think my mum hired a lawyer there.” Her mother. She could be the one that had hired Lexa to protect Clarke. If Clarke was absolutely clueless, she would have to rely solely on her relationship with her mother to gather information on any potential targets and leads. Only pausing for bites of food, Clarke continued to express her thoughts about the company, while Lexa listened attentively for any clues.

 

* * *

 

Lexa was half way through her pad see ew when she heard a thump from next door. It was clear that both of them had noticed the disrupting sound, since Clarke had also paused in her eating.

“That’s probably Titus doing something weird,” dismissed Clarke. “Ever since he moved in, I found him a little creepy. I felt like he was watching my every move and one time-“

There was another crash and a muffled yell that sounded distinctly female. Anya. Lexa bolted out of her seat, ignoring Clarke’s confused shouts and ran to the apartment next door.

The door had been left open, revealing Anya struggling underneath Titus, who had a shard of broken glass pressed against Anya’s neck. He was shouting questions at her that Lexa couldn’t comprehend as she was fuelled by rage by the sight of her sister helpless underneath the old man. She leapt and tackled Titus to the side, rolling as to not crush Anya. She sent a hard right hook to his temple, disorientating him enough for him to drop his makeshift weapon with a shatter. Lexa reached inside her jacket for her trusty knife, but panicked when she couldn’t feel anything besides the smooth lining. Titus used this as an opportunity to throw Lexa back onto the ground, choking her in the process. The action sent Lexa into a frenzy, incapable of thinking straight and planning her attacks efficiently. Her hands and legs lashed out at Titus until her heel met the kneecap of his supporting leg, loosening the hands gripping her neck just enough for Lexa to take a breath and grab a glass shard that was just in reach. The sharp edges cut into her palm as she gripped it tightly, but the adrenalin pumping through her body was enough to dull the pain. Lexa brought the shard across and slashed Titus’ throat, spurting blood over her, before the lifeless body fell on top, crushing her slightly, but relieving her from the tightness around her neck.

Anya rushed over and pushed the body off of Lexa, bending over to cup her face in her hands.

“Lexa? Are you ok?”

Without answering her questions, Lexa glared up at Anya and spat out, “Anya, what the _fuck_ did you do?”

Lexa ignored Anya’s proffered and sat up herself, planning on marching back to their apartment and locking herself in the bathroom for a good few hours. But she was stopped in her path. Clarke was at the doorway, eyes and mouth wide open just like the door. Well, shit.

“Um, I did martial arts as a kid?” In her peripheral vision, Lexa could see Anya facepalm, while the expression on Clarke’s didn’t change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah i suck at updating sorry not sorry


End file.
